I had a private gig tonight in someone's home. I'll be honest, I was kind of dreading it. The dread came from the uncertainty. When you do a show at a comedy club or corporate event you have a reasonably good idea of what you're walking into. But a private show in someone's home … you just never know. These folks booked me through my website; The entire transaction completed electronically without us ever speaking or meeting. (Unusual.) So I was really flying blind. But from the minute I crossed the threshold it wasn't just a gig. I was greeted and treated like family. Their warmth and hospitality made me feel so at home. I wasn't so much telling jokes as I was having fun with friends. It is easily one of the most delightful shows I've done all year in no small part because they insisted that I eat before the show, after the show, and made sure I didn't leave without a tinfoil-wrapped plate of cupcakes. (And no, the cup cakes were not given in lieu of payment. :-)

I share this story because sometimes comedians expect the worst. Maybe that's our way of protecting ourselves. Maybe that's because we all have horror stories about gigs gone wrong. Well, sometimes they go really right, too.